


kept on running

by QuickSilverFox3



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: CC-2224 | Cody Gets A Hug, CT-7567 | Rex is a Good Bro, Comfort, Commander Cody Week (Star Wars), Established Relationship, Gen, M/M, Protective CC-2224 | Cody, Sibling Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-28 14:21:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30140883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuickSilverFox3/pseuds/QuickSilverFox3
Summary: In the quiet after the battle, Rex goes to find Cody.
Relationships: Alpha-17 & CC-2224 | Cody, CC-2224 | Cody & CT-7567 | Rex, CC-2224 | Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi
Comments: 3
Kudos: 69





	kept on running

**Author's Note:**

> Commander Cody Week Day 07: Missing Perspective

“Hey, vod.” Rex’s voice was barely louder than a whisper amidst the ever-present rumbling of the engine, a constant vibration like a gigantic beast, and the faint bubbling of the bacta tanks tucked along the back wall of the room. It woke Cody in an instant, his eyes snapping open and staring out at the fragmented grey of the medbay before his gaze focused, trailing along the bright paint on Rex’s armour to his exhausted grin.

“You should be asleep,” Cody murmured, but still carefully moved back along the narrow cot, drawing back the blanket to make a space for Rex to slip into. 

The air of the medbay bit at Cody’s bare skin and the shiver rattled through him like an earthquake, as Rex slipped out of his remaining armour with practiced fluid motions, stacking it in the small hollow in the wall. It felt strange without his armour or his blacks on — the fabric having been cut away hours before beneath the careful supervision of Helix to expose the constellation of bruises forming over his ribs. 

“It’s been a day.” Rex’s voice cracked as he spoke, a vast undercurrent of unspoken worries struggling to break free past his iron control. Cody’s heart twisted in his chest, regret flooding his chest and drowning the words he wanted to say. 

It wasn’t fair, this life they had been sentenced to, this war they had been born to fight.

The cot groaned beneath Rex’s weight as he curled up next to Cody, one arm tucked awkwardly into the space between them as the other was thrown across Cody’s hip, carefully steering clear of the heavy bandages around his chest. His eyes were dark, half-shadowed and gleaming like the edges of deep space as his gaze searched Cody’s face. 

Cody bit back a grunt of effort as he moved, the muscles in his arm contorting just shy of pain as he moved to cup Rex’s head — offering his arm as a pillow — fingers working into the rough hair at the nape of his neck. 

“You don’t have to carry it all alone, Rex’ika,” Cody murmured as Rex’s eyes slowly drifted closed, their chest rising and falling in unison. 

“I know,” came the reply, half-lost as Rex yawned, curling into Cody’s chest even further. “You don’t either.”

Rex’s short hair scratched at Cody’s throat, but he accepted it gladly, tipping his head back to settle his chin on top of Rex’s head. His breath was warm and damp against the base of Cody’s throat, carrying with it the familiar scent of caff and ozone from the blasters that clung to everything. 

He was struck with how tall Rex had gotten. Cody could remember, as clearly as if it had been yesterday, how easy it had been to scoop Rex up — all compact limbs that were too big for him still — and settle him on his hip whenever the other clone had begun to fall behind. Alpha-17 had called him ‘ _ gar’prudii _ ’ and the moniker had stuck for the longest time. Wherever Cody went, Rex wasn’t far behind, a little blond shadow peering out from behind Cody’s legs and ready to interject himself into whatever argument on his behalf. 

Cody couldn’t even remember what one particular argument had been about, only that Alpha-17 had moved to clip him round the back of the head — the motion slightly harder than it should have been — before quickly aborting the action to instead scoop Rex up, swearing up a storm as the younger clone had kicked the exposed spot on his ankle. 

“I see that he’s taking after your style,” Alpha-17 had laughed despite himself, limping a few steps back as he threw Rex back into Cody’s waiting arms.

Cody sighed, feeling the weight of the burden he had carried for so long press him into the mattress. It took some effort to move enough to press a kiss to the crown of Rex’s head, moving in fractions in order to not disturb his sleeping brother, but it was worth it.

Footsteps moved across the medbay beyond the curtain, careful and hushed, but almost rhythmic in time with the rumbling of the engines. The thin curtain revealed the vague outlines of another clone, and moved back silently at Helix’s touch. He stopped for a moment, fingers knocking against his grey-patterned helmet in silent apology, before checking the data readouts. It was impossible to read his expression given that he almost never removed his helmet, but Cody studied the slant of his shoulders, tried to read the glowing letters reflected on his visor regardless. 

“I’ll make a note you’re both here,” Helix murmured, his head tilted in a way that reminded Cody of a smile, before letting the curtain fall once. 

Cody listened to his footsteps move away once more, the noise rising and falling in time with the beating of his heart, unaware that sleep had overtaken him inch and inch until he was broken out of that slow fall by another movement. 

“Sir, you’re meant to be on bed rest,” Cody hissed, craning his neck to try and catch a glimpse of Obi-Wan. He could only see the faintest movement of pale cream fabric, but heard Obi-Wan’s low chuckle, his hand impossibly warm as he smoothed it over Cody’s shoulder. 

“I wanted to check on you,  _ cyar’ika _ ,” the man murmured, leaning forward so Cody could see him. Each and every time, Cody thought that the next look would be the one that didn’t rob him of his breath, that didn’t cause his heart to beat fast, and everytime came away bewildered and overjoyed. 

Above them, the monitor flashed in warning, and Obi-Wan laughed once more, his grin threatening to split his face in two at the implication. 

“Sir.” Helix’s admonishment carried like a sigh, his footsteps trailing over into the steady beat of a tapped foot like a ticking clock. 

Obi-Wan curled over Cody to kiss him. The angle was off, barely allowing them anything more than a brief whisper of a kiss, Obi-Wan’s beard scratching against the corner of Cody’s mouth, but Obi-Wan’s grin was warm against his lips. Drawing back, the Jedi kissed Cody’s temple, whispering something he couldn’t quite catch before moving away. 

Cody shivered, the movement transmitting into Rex who only moved impossibly closer, nose bumping into the lines of Cody’s throat. Drawing the blanket up exposed his feet to the bite of the night air — Rex’s legs curled with his feet tucked next to Cody’s knees — but it was bearable as Cody tucked the blanket carefully around his sleeping brother. 

“Night,” he whispered to no-one in particular, and let himself fall into sleep once more, content and warm and loved. 


End file.
